In a time division multiple access system, inbound slot assignments can be made on each corresponding outbound slot. As shown in FIG. 1, outbound slot 1 would contain a subscriber assignment identifier that specifies the slot assignment of inbound slot 1. For a full duplex subscriber unit, all inbound slot assignments made on the outbound channel can be decoded even when transmitting on an inbound slot. A half duplex subscriber unit, however, cannot receive the outbound slot assignments made on outbound slots that are adjacent to the one it is transmitting inbound as shown in FIG. 2; the half duplex subscriber unit cannot fully utilize the inbound channel. In FIG. 2, a half duplex subscriber unit transmitting on inbound slot 1 cannot receive the slot assignments in the outbound slots marked “X”. Slot assignments to the half duplex subscriber unit transmitting in slot 1, made in the outbound slots marked with an “X” will be missed, resulting in their corresponding inbound slots going unused; those outbound slots cannot contain data, including slot assignments for the transmitting half duplex subscriber unit. A problem with this method is that a half duplex subscriber unit can only use one in every three inbound slots, thus cutting the available throughput by two thirds.
Thus, there exists a need for a method that allows subscriber units, particularly half duplex subscriber units, to more effectively utilize the inbound channel.